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| MEDIA RELEASE
- 28 AUGUST 2000 |
| Posted by |
Graeme Cocks |
| Email address |
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| Date posted |
09 October 2000 |
| Message |
When Duyfken sailed from Australia's Cape York, north
along the western fringe of Torres Strait and saw the shoals
of Papua New Guinea ahead near Mare, her crew became the
first Europeans recorded in history to sight the southern
coast of PNG. The 1606 visit of Duyfken was historic for
many reasons. The voyage marked the beginning of the European
exploration of eastern Indonesia and beyond, including the
northern, western and southern coasts of the Great South
Land. The Duyfken replica has diverted from Captain Willem
Janszoon's riskier northern passage and has done what the
Dutch sailors could not manage - sailing from west to east
through Torres Strait. The ship anchored overnight at Cape
Grenville and traversed Blackwood Passage today on her way
to Port Moresby as part of the Chevron 2000 Raun Bilong
Duyfken (Chevron 2000 Duyfken Expedition). While Duyfken
sailed along the western fringes of Torres Strait in early
1606, later in the same year, the San Pedrico under the
command of Luis Vaez de Torres sail through the strait from
east to west. Local schoolchildren will be able to visit
Duyfken during the ship's visit to Port Moresby as part
of the silver anniversary celebrations of the nation's independence.
Duyfken Project Director Graeme Cocks said that Duyfken's
expedition had been successful because the ship's crew listened
to the stories from history told by the local people of
the region to build up a more accurate picture of the region.
"Much of our history talks about the successes of European
maritime explorers but the stories of the local mariners
are just as important. "We hope that the people of the Gulf
of Papua tell us the stories from their history which are
so important." After visiting Port Moresby, Duyfken will
sail to Cooktown to begin a five month exhibition tour of
Queensland ports. Daily updates from the Chevron 2000 Duyfken
Expedition are posted on the Captain's Log at the Duyfken
website, www.duyfken.com. Duyfken has recreated the first
voyage to Australia recorded in history when Dutch sea captain
Willem Janszoon sailed from the Banda Islands of Indonesia
to Cape York Peninsula. The secret voyage of discovery also
was the first time recorded in history when Aboriginal people
met people from the outside world and the Australian land
mass appeared on a chart. Duyfken was constructed by the
Duyfken 1606 Replica Foundation in Fremantle at a cost of
A$3.7 million. The Chevron 2000 Duyfken Expedition and exhibition
tour is supported by Chevron Corporation, the Government
of Queensland and the MG Kailis Group of Companies. E N
D S Media contact: Graeme Cocks, Project Director (08) 9272
6854, 041 990 5370 gacocks@iinet.net.au. |
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